How to handle marketing planning problems

  

Date Posted: 11/6/2012 9:36:09 AM

Posted By: sashoo  Membership Level: Silver  Total Points: 382

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Some of the problems that may occur during the marketing planning process may be deep-seated managerial inadequacies rather than being intrinsic to the planning process itself. As such, the attempt to establish the planning system may be seen as a benefit to the business by revealing the nature of these problems. However, various authors have proposed recommendations (as follows) for minimizing the impact of such problems.

1. Senior management support: Top management must be committed to planning and be seen by middle management to give it total support. This should be ongoing support, not a short time fad.

2. Match the planning system to the culture of the business: How the marketing process is managed should be consistent with the culture of the organization. For example, in some organizations the top-down/bottom-up balance will move towards top-down; in other less directive cultures the balance will move towards a more bottom-up planning style.

3. The reward system: This should reward the achievement of longer-term objectives rather than exclusively focus on short-term results.

4. Depoliticize outcomes: Less emphasis should be placed on rewarding managers associated with build (growth) strategies. Recognition of the skills involved in defending share and harvesting products should be made. At General Electric Company, managers are classifies as “growers’, ‘caretakers’ and ‘undertakers’, and matched to products that are being built, defended or harvested in recognition of the fact that the skills involved differ according to the strategic objective. No stigma is attached to care-taking or undertaking; each is acknowledged as contributing to the success of the organization.

5. Clear communication: Plans should be communicated to those charged with implementation.

6. Training: Marketing personnel should be trained in the necessary marketing knowledge and skills to perform the planning job. Ideally the management team should attend the same training course so that they each share common understanding of the concepts and tools involved and

can communicate using the same terminology.

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